Key Takeaways
- • Charles L. "Chuck" Haigh appointed as director of investments at Boston University, joining the investment office managing the University's $1.6 billion endowment with specialized expertise in hedge fund strategy and manager evaluation.
- • Haigh brings 18 years of hedge fund research experience from Cambridge Associates, where he served as cohead of hedge fund research and led a 10-person team evaluating managers across activism, long/short equity, event-driven, and distressed investing strategies globally.
- • The hire expands BU's investment office to three investment directors and represents a strategic shift toward specialized expertise in hedge fund allocation, complementing the University's existing generalist asset allocation model across all major asset classes.
- • Haigh's transition from single-asset-class focus to BU's multi-asset-class generalist model reflects an intentional career move to broaden investment scope and directly influence a substantial capital pool within higher education institutional investing.
Summary
Boston University has recruited Charles L. "Chuck" Haigh as director of investments to strengthen the investment office responsible for managing the University's $1.6 billion endowment. Haigh brings significant specialized expertise in hedge fund strategy, having spent the past 18 years at Cambridge Associates in Boston, where he served as cohead of hedge fund research.
At Cambridge Associates, Haigh managed a 10-person team responsible for sourcing, monitoring, and evaluating hedge fund managers with exposure to activism, long/short equity, event-driven, and distressed investing strategies across global markets. His role also included advising institutional clients—including universities—on endowment hedge fund allocation strategy. This background positions him to provide direct expertise in alternative asset manager selection and portfolio construction for BU's institutional capital.
The appointment represents a deliberate shift in BU's investment office composition. Haigh joins a three-person investment director team under Chief Investment Officer Clarissa C. "Lila" Hunnewell, who previously worked with Haigh at Cambridge Associates. According to Hunnewell, Haigh has already contributed substantively to portfolio strategy and team dynamics. Haigh expressed that the transition from concentrated hedge fund expertise to BU's broader generalist investment model—where directors evaluate opportunities across all asset classes—was a primary attraction, allowing him to expand his analytical scope after nearly two decades of specialized focus.
The hire underscores BU's strategic intent to integrate hedge fund expertise into its endowment management framework while maintaining a generalist approach to asset allocation. For institutional investors evaluating higher education endowment management practices, this reflects an industry trend toward recruiting specialized talent within collaborative multi-asset investment structures.
At Cambridge Associates, Haigh managed a 10-person team responsible for sourcing, monitoring, and evaluating hedge fund managers with exposure to activism, long/short equity, event-driven, and distressed investing strategies across global markets. His role also included advising institutional clients—including universities—on endowment hedge fund allocation strategy. This background positions him to provide direct expertise in alternative asset manager selection and portfolio construction for BU's institutional capital.
The appointment represents a deliberate shift in BU's investment office composition. Haigh joins a three-person investment director team under Chief Investment Officer Clarissa C. "Lila" Hunnewell, who previously worked with Haigh at Cambridge Associates. According to Hunnewell, Haigh has already contributed substantively to portfolio strategy and team dynamics. Haigh expressed that the transition from concentrated hedge fund expertise to BU's broader generalist investment model—where directors evaluate opportunities across all asset classes—was a primary attraction, allowing him to expand his analytical scope after nearly two decades of specialized focus.
The hire underscores BU's strategic intent to integrate hedge fund expertise into its endowment management framework while maintaining a generalist approach to asset allocation. For institutional investors evaluating higher education endowment management practices, this reflects an industry trend toward recruiting specialized talent within collaborative multi-asset investment structures.
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